Shirt cuff with cuff link retainer

ABSTRACT

One side of a shirt cuff has a cuff link retaining member secured between the fabric layers. The rubber-like retaining member is provided with a central hole aligned with the usual openings in the cuff that receive a cuff link, the diameter of the hole being such that the retaining member will grip the cuff link stem extending through it to prevent loss of the link.

United States Patent [191 Schuchman, Jr.

[ Sept. 3, 1974 SHIRT CUFF WITH CUFF LINK RETAINER Frederick E. Schuchman, Jr., Gateway Towers, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15222 Filed: Aug. 27, 1973 Appl. No.: 391,970

Inventor:

Int. Cl A4lb 7/00 Field of Search 2/123; 24/905, 41, 102

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1925 Redfield 24/905 3,634,911 1/1972 Mobell 24/905 Primary ExaminerRichard J. Scanlan, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Brown, Murray, Flick &

Peckham [5 7] ABSTRACT 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures SHIRT CUFF WITH CUFF LINK RETAINER In the'most popular type of cuff links sold today the stems are slotted and cross bars are pivotally mounted in their rear ends. In order to permit the cuff links to be inserted in the holes provided for them in shirt cuffs, the cross bars are turned into a position in alignment with the stems. After such a cuff link has been fully inserted, the cross bar is turned at right angles to the stem and serves to prevent the cuff link from being withdrawn from the cuff. However, it sometimes happens that the cross bars accidentally swing back, or are accidentally turned back, into alignment with the slotted stems of the links, where-upon the cuff links can fall or work out of the cuffs and be lost. If one link of a pair is lost, the other link generally becomes useless. Since some cuff links have considerable monetary and/or sentimental value, it is highly desirable to prevent their loss in this manner. Also, if a man plans to wear the same shirt a second day and has to take out the cuff links in order to remove or put on the shirt, it is a nui sauce to have to put them back in again. It would be much better if they could stay with the shirt.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a shirt having cuffs from which cuff links cannot be lost, and which will prevent cuff links from separating therefrom even though they are intentionally disconnected from one side of the cuffs.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an end view of a shirt cuff with a cuff link in place;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section through the cuff; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the cuff with the cuff link removed.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a shirt cuff l is provided with the usual aligned openings 2 (FIG. 3) by which a conventional cuff link is connected to it. The cuff link has an ornamental head 3 of any desired type, from the back of which a central stem 4 projects. This stem is slotted lengthwise, with its open rear end straddling the central portion of a cross bar 5 pivotally mounted on a pin 6 secured in the stem. As is well known, such a cross bar has two principal positions. One of these is an inoperative position in which the bar is aligned with the stem. In the other position the bar extends crosswise of the stem; that is, substantially perpendicular to it as shown. This is the operative position, in which the cross bar locks the cuff link in place. Nevertheless, it sometimes happens that the cross bar accidentally swings or is swung back into alignment with the stem, whereupon heretofore the cuff link could slip out of the cuff and be lost.

The areas of the cuff through which the cuff link extends are disposed face to face and form inner and outer side portions, the outer side portion being the one engaged by the head of the cuff link.

It is a feature of this invention that the shirt cuff itself is provided with means for retaining a cuff link in place even if the cross bar of the link is not in locking position. Accordingly, as best shown in FIG. 2, a retaining member or keeper 8 is permanently disposed between the two thicknesses or layers of cloth that is in one of the previously mentioned side portions of the cuff. This retaining member preferably is circular and is provided with a central hole 9. It resembles a small disc and has a bead 10 at each side encircling the hole for a purpose that will be explained later.

As shown in FIG. 3, the keeper is placed in a position where its central hole will be aligned with the openings 2 in the adjoining layers of the cuff material. It is held in this position in any suitable manner, such as by stitches or by an adhesive that will withstand washings of the shirt. The hole through the keeper is slightly smaller in diameter than the stem of the cuff link, but the keeper is made of a pliable rubber-like material, such as synthetic rubber, so that it is resilient to allow the cuff link bar and stem to be pushed through the hole. It follows that the keeper will frictionally grip the stem and thereby prevent it from sliding out of the washer. Preferably, the keeper is located inside the outer side portion of the cuff for a reason that will be explained presently.

The cuff link is put in place by first pivoting its cross bar so that it will be aligned with the stem. The bar and stem are then inserted through the outer side of the cuff and the retaining member therein until the head of the link engages the cuff. This insertion of the cuff link should preferably be done before the shirt has been put on and then the link is inserted in the inner side portion of the cuff. The cuff and the cuff link will have their conventional appearance and the link will perform its intended function. However, if unknown to the wearer of the shirt the cross bar of the cufflink happens to be turned into alignment with the stem so that the bar and stem slips out of the inner side of the cuff, the cuff link will not separate completely from the cuff and be lost because it will be held in place by the keeper that securely grips the stem.

The reason it is preferred that the retaining member be located in the outer side portion of the cuff is that if the inner side portion of the cuff is removed from the cuff link intentionally in order to permit the sleeve to be rolled up or the shirt to be removed, the cuff link will not have to be completely removed from the cuff at that time because the retaining member will hold it in place.

The beads 10 of the retaining member add thickness to its central portion without increasing the thickness of the rest of it. This added thickness results in the keeper extending along a cuff link stem far enough to interfere with turning cross bar 5 into line with the stem, whereby the keeper generally must be compressed axially between the fingers to permit that to be done. An additional means is therefore provided for preventing loss of a cuff link. This additional safety feature may be the only one if a cuff link is used that has a smaller diameter stem than usual, so that the keeper does not grip the stem. Nevertheless, loss of the cuff link will be prevented.

The retaining member disclosed herein is a permanent part of the shirt, it is always present and it does not require separate handling. In case the cuff is a French cuff there would be two additional layers of material outside of those shown, due to the cuff being folded back upon itself. The retaining washer, however, would still be disposed between only two of the layers of cloth, preferably, the inner pair of the outer side portion of the cuff.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A shirt cuff formed of a plurality of layers of cloth provided with openings for receiving a cufi link, said cuff being adapted to extend around the wrist with the areas containing said openings disposed face to face and forming inner and outer side portions of the cuff, a rubber-like retaining member secured between said cloth layers forming one of said side portions of the cuff and provided centrally with a hole aligned with said openings in those layers, and a cuff link provided with a slotted stern extending through said openings and retaining member and having a retaining bar pivotally mounted in one end of the stem on a transverse axis for movement between positions aligned with the stern and perpendicular to it, the diameter of said retaining member hole being such that the retaining member grips said stem to prevent loss of the cuff link when said bar is in said aligned position, said retaining member resembling a disc and provided around each end of said hole with an encircling bead, the thickness of the disc around the beads being less than required to keep said pivoted bar from turning into said aligned position, but the combined thickness of said disc and beads being great enough to require the retaining member to be manually compressed axially before the pivoted bar can be swung into alignment with said stem for removal of the cuff link from the shirt cuff.

2. A shirt cuff according to claim 1, in which said retaining member is located in said outer side portion of the cuff.

3. A shirt cuff according to claim 1, in which the said disc tapers in thickness radially outward from said beads to the periphery of the disc.

4. A shirt cuff according to claim 1, in which said retaining member is located in said outer side portion of the cuff, and said disc tapers in thickness radially outward from said beads to the periphery of the disc. 

1. A shirt cuff formed of a plurality of layers of cloth provided with openings for receiving a cuff link, said cuff bEing adapted to extend around the wrist with the areas containing said openings disposed face to face and forming inner and outer side portions of the cuff, a rubber-like retaining member secured between said cloth layers forming one of said side portions of the cuff and provided centrally with a hole aligned with said openings in those layers, and a cuff link provided with a slotted stem extending through said openings and retaining member and having a retaining bar pivotally mounted in one end of the stem on a transverse axis for movement between positions aligned with the stem and perpendicular to it, the diameter of said retaining member hole being such that the retaining member grips said stem to prevent loss of the cuff link when said bar is in said aligned position, said retaining member resembling a disc and provided around each end of said hole with an encircling bead, the thickness of the disc around the beads being less than required to keep said pivoted bar from turning into said aligned position, but the combined thickness of said disc and beads being great enough to require the retaining member to be manually compressed axially before the pivoted bar can be swung into alignment with said stem for removal of the cuff link from the shirt cuff.
 2. A shirt cuff according to claim 1, in which said retaining member is located in said outer side portion of the cuff.
 3. A shirt cuff according to claim 1, in which the said disc tapers in thickness radially outward from said beads to the periphery of the disc.
 4. A shirt cuff according to claim 1, in which said retaining member is located in said outer side portion of the cuff, and said disc tapers in thickness radially outward from said beads to the periphery of the disc. 